My teacher and I are having a fight in class about whether or not you can spray paint a motion sensor to not set it off

Hello! My science teacher and I are having a fight in class about whether you can spray paint a motion sensor or not and that if that will cover it or set it off. Also any other ways to block/not set off a motion sensor while walking past it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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It depends on how sensitive the motion sensor is. Is this like a laser tripwire, or (Cannot disclose government briefcase sensors.) like a sectional sensor? What kind of lens does it have? Is it IR, heat sensor, UV, UVA, UVB, or otherwise? It depends on the kind, but overall, if it was in use, then sprayed, it would probably be set of. There really isnt a way to not set it off, other than cutting the power, Opening it , cutting the BLACK wire, Insantaneous extreme shock, or smashing it somehow creating a EMP, (ElectroMagneticPulse) -RoAr

It definatly would. A motion sensor detects objects in a room, detects miliseconds later (cheap ones might detect again seconds later), and compares the two "images". If they are different, within a certain threshold, it will go off. Spray painting it will make a drastic difference, and even the cheapest and least accurate sensor would go off then.

cover the sensor and the area of the wall around it with transparent plastic bags. spray and see what happens the sensor sees the room diffused thru a fresnel lens. i think it reacts to change in IR pattern once you painted it in a nontransparent for ir layer of paint it will stop working. but as benthekahn said the act of painting itself (or getting to the sensor to paint it) is change in ir to become invisible you have to hide from the sensor. wear thick clothes and hood and see if it helps

Most everyday motion sensors you'll see around are going to be IR or maybe Microwave (possibly with IR as well as this covers movement in 2 ways). Any movement really is going to set it off. Even if you manage to spray from an angle where it can detect you the spray will most likely set it off. I used to install these things and I've had enough 4am call outs to know that even a slight draught or cobweb can trigger these things!! Cutting the power will almost always result in the battery backup kicking in and all devices connected to alarm systems these days are tamper proof so no opening to cut wires.